The Bugatti Chiron’s successor will feature a hybrid V16, and it sounds incredible
Exactly eight years since the Chiron’s launch, Bugatti has announced first details of its hybrid-assisted successor
It’s been four years in the making, but Bugatti has finally announced the first details of its next-generation hypercar. Set to be the marque’s first new model launched since the formation of the Bugatti-Rimac group in 2022, it’s set to meld technology from both firms with a cutting-edge hybrid powertrain. Unlike most announcements of this kind, it comes just a few months before the full reveal, with the model set to make its full debut this June.
Official details are few and far between at this stage, but we now know that it will retain the 16 cylinders of its predecessors, only now in a V formation and with hybrid-assistance. Information on displacement and output of this all-new engine will come at a later date, but this teaser sound clip does suggest that it will feature a redline significantly higher than that of the 7100rpm Chiron Super Sport. Bugatti-Rimac CEO Mate Rimac shared behind the scenes images of the new unit, offering a first look at its internal design.
Since Bugatti’s Volkswagen Group acquisition in 1998, its lineup has consisted purely of W16-powered models. The Veyron 16.4 led the way with its record-breaking 986bhp output, with the Chiron coming 13 years later powered by an adaptation of the same engine, producing 1479bhp in its most basic form. With an all-new engine and the added benefits of electrification, it's safe to say that its V16 successor will comfortably eclipse its numbers.
Just a couple of weeks since first official details were announced, Mate Rimac released a teaser on social media, revealing that customer previews are already underway. While a brief glimpse of the car under cover is all we get, it’s the best look at its exterior design we’ve had so far, with the trademark Bugatti 'C' aft of the doors clear to see.
While this new model will be the first of Bugatti’s lineup to feature electrification, the marque remains confident that Rimac’s input won’t damper its trademark Bugatti character, describing it in its official statement as ‘...a pure embodiment of Bugatti’s DNA, created not just for the present, or even the future – but “Pour l’éternité”.
We’ll have to wait until June to see just what form this new-generation Bugatti will take, but first signs are certainly fascinating…
